By Ado Oyeyemi
Former Kano State Governor and 2027 vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has expressed readiness to reconcile with the state’s incumbent governor, Abba Yusuf.
Kwankwaso made his position known in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service published on Sunday, where he spoke about his strained relationship with Yusuf.
Yusuf, who won the 2023 governorship election on the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party, was previously a prominent supporter of the Kwankwasiyya movement associated with Kwankwaso.
Their relationship, however, deteriorated after Yusuf defected to the All Progressives Congress and aligned with former Kano governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, who has had a long-standing political rivalry with Kwankwaso.
Speaking on the development, Kwankwaso said he still had affection for Yusuf and would be willing to reconcile with him if the governor desired such a move.
“I didn’t abandon him, didn’t ask him to go or dismiss him, I still like him,” he said.
The former governor also described himself as a forgiving person, saying he had previously forgiven Ganduje despite what he described as several actions against him.
Kwankwaso recalled his political relationship with Ganduje, saying the former governor had challenged him on several occasions, including during their time at the Ministry of Defence.
He said despite their disagreements, he eventually supported Ganduje’s emergence as governor, stressing that he did not believe in holding grudges against political associates.
Kwankwaso added that he was still actively involved in politics and did not dictate to people what decisions to make, urging his supporters and associates to exercise patience and accommodate differences.
“I’m not God. So, if Yusuf or whoever wishes to come, you need to have patience, have a large heart and compassion because not all will play along your line,” he said.
He added, “You don’t expect everybody to act, behave or think like you do, because everyone has his way of reasoning, age, background and educational qualifications.”
Kwankwaso further said his approach to Yusuf was similar to the one he adopted towards Ganduje, noting that he did not demand money from politicians in exchange for endorsement or political tickets.
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“So, if I’m not forgiving, we will not put Ganduje forward; the situation is the same with Yusuf.
“We don’t ask for a dime from each of them to get our endorsement and tickets; we don’t sell our candidature,” he said.
